PENSACOLA, Fla. -- Fifty-eight students from New Warrington Elementary School graduated from the Saturday Scholars Program in a ceremony held at the Naval Air Station (NAS) Pensacola chapel, Nov. 19.
Information Warfare Training Command (IWTC) Corry Station continued a 33-year-old tradition of partnering with the Escambia County school district to have volunteers spend Saturday mornings mentoring students in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) concepts. A command from NAS Pensacola Corry Station has supported a session at a different school each spring and fall, with this fall marking the 63rd session.
"This is a great program that does a good job of bringing the military and community together," said Chief Petty Officer Dwayne Self, an instructor at IWTC Corry Station and coordinator for the Saturday Scholars Program. "It is one of our longest running programs, and I think it will continue to go strongly with the community and Navy's support."
For four consecutive Saturdays, the children at the nearby school studied STEM topics alongside their mentors, who were Navy "A" and "C" school students at IWTC Corry Station. Together, they explored various stations such as examining the water cycle and building model bridges to foster critical-thinking and teamwork skills. They played math-based games in small groups, and a computer lab offered academic skills and basic computing games. An outside station allowed the students and mentors to play a sport such as basketball and kickball.
The experience offered the mentors a chance to reconnect with a younger generation and make a difference in a child's life.
"Throughout the program, we got to interact with the kids as they completed educational assignments in different subjects," said Seaman Mosher Williams. "I joined the Navy to fight for this country, but to be able to actually give back and be able to see the smiling faces is one of the best feelings in the world."
Following the graduation, the students and their mentors spent time exploring the National Naval Aviation Museum at NAS Pensacola, which many of the students had never visited.
Saturday Scholars is an example of the Navy's Personal Excellence Partnership Program, which strives for excellence in developing the youth of surrounding communities by promoting academic achievement, healthy lifestyles, and civic responsibility.
Information Warfare Training Command Corry Station, as part of the Center for Information Warfare Training, provides a continuum of training to Navy and joint service personnel that prepares them to conduct information warfare across the full spectrum of military operations.
For more news from the Center for Information Warfare Training organization, visit www.navy.mil/local/cid/, www.netc.navy.mil/centers/ciwt/, www.facebook.com/NavyCIWT, or www.twitter.com/NavyCIWT.